Sports bars are getting ready to cash in on the fight between the NFL Network and Time Warner Cable.
Managers say they expect their bars to fill with fans who can't watch tonight's Cowboys-Packers game at home.
The bars are making preparations for what some expect to be one of the busiest nights of the year.
"We're going to be filled up to capacity. It will be standing room only," Nathan Glowacki of the Tavern said. "We're stocking up on all the product we need, all the alcohol, and we're staffed up."
Third Base on West Fifth Street is counting on what owners predict to be the best night of business since they opened earlier this year.
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Cowboys vs. Packers
Football fans are forced to watch the game at a sports bar.
 
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"Our phones have been ringing off the hook for a week," Michael Tashnick of Third Base said. "We're going to put TVs outside and try to put as many people inside as we can to meet the fire code."
"I'll give the waitress a real tip if the Cowboys win. I'll spend a lot of money," football fan Jay Lany said.
For now that's money neither the NFL nor Time Warner are going to see. But for fans, it will buy a good time.
Some other sports bars are taking deposits to reserve seating, while others say they'll charge a cover for the game.
If you're planning to be there, managers recommend calling ahead and arriving early. The game begins at 7 p.m.
Editor's Note: Time Warner Cable is News 8 Austin's parent company.
